Jermain Taylor Gets Back In The Game

by Gautham Nagesh

Jermain Taylor has dog tags tattooed on his chest. Whether or not they were intended to symbolize a willingness to die in the ring, it sure seems that way now. The 33-year-old Taylor returned from a two-year absence on Friday night in Cabazon, Calif. by stopping Baltimore’s Jesse Nicklow in the 8th round of the ShoBox main event.

The former undisputed middleweight champion, Taylor hasn’t fought since being knocked out by Arthur Abraham in his first and only bout in the Super Six. The loss resulted in neurological damage and a minor brain bleed for Taylor, scaring promoter Lou DiBella away from his attempted comeback. But after extensive medical testing DiBella signed on again for one last run at the shallow middleweight division.

Taylor still possesses a superlative, snapping jab and his 5'11" frame is much more imposing at middleweight than 168. Whether he can take world-class punches remains very much in doubt. Abraham was his third stoppage loss and there’s no question middleweight king Sergio Martinez would test his chin early and often if the two ever linked up.

Against Nicklow, a good club fighter that normally features on cards in his native Maryland, Taylor looked comfortable and in control for the entire bout. Using his jab to keep the smaller brawler at bay, Taylor moved well and never looked out of sorts. But the warning signs were there. He still keeps his hands low, leaving himself open for the counter. His reflexes can’t be improving at this age. The stoppage should have come sooner but Taylor’s refusal to release the right hand delayed the inevitable.

When Taylor finally fired his right, which he later said had been injured, he hurt Nicklow immediately. A straight right in the 8th sent Nicklow straight backward into the ropes, where a couple more shots drew the early stoppage from referee Ray Corona. Nicklow was understandably furious, but in his defense Corona recognized the final result was beyond doubt.

Taylor has always had talent and pedigree in spades, as evidenced by his bronze medal at the 2000 Olympics and his two wins over a prime Bernard Hopkins. He merits immediate inclusion among the top names at 160 lbs thanks to his reputation alone, but whether he can stand tougher tests remains to be seen.

A crossroads matchup against Nicklow’s only other conqueror Fernando Guerrero would be an intriguing bout. Moving up much higher on the ladder may expose the weaknesses that lead Taylor to leave boxing in the first place. Either way, hopefully he realizes when the end has come before someone does the deciding for him.